The Haskell Free Library and Opera House had a simple goal: raise $100,000 to renovate an emergency exit so Canadians could continue to access the building that straddles the U.S. border with its main entrance in Vermont.
Within days, more than double that had been raised, said library board president Sylvie Boudreau.
“It’s been crazy. It’s been overwhelming,” said Boudreau.
In addition to mail in, PayPal, and other standard donations, Canadians, Americans and international donors gave over $155,000 through a GoFundMe campaign as of Tuesday.
“So many visitors are coming, giving money and writing cheques,” said Boudreau. “People are supporting our mission.”
Boudreau will meet with architects next week to come up with a plan to replace a wall, entrance and pathway so Canadians don’t have to use the U.S. entrance and comply with new border security rules. She hopes the renovations can be completed over the summer.
The historic building was built in 1904, and the emergency exit needs an upgrade so Canadians can enter after the U.S. government said it would limit access to the entrance in Derby Line, Vermont.
“For over a century, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House has stood as a powerful symbol of unity and cross-border friendship—one of the only buildings in the world that quite literally connects two nations,” the library said. “This sudden closure not only limits off Canadian visitors from their shared history and threatens the very spirit of collaboration that has defined this institution for generations.”
A black line through the middle of the library denotes which country patrons are standing in.
For decades, Canadians have been able to enter the library without a passport by entering the Canadian side of the building in Stanstead, Que., and following the sidewalk to the entrance.
Only those who are members of the library can now enter and those without a card are being redirected to the U.S. port of entry.
The Town of Stanstead said, however, that U.S. officials have made a “unilateral decision” to close access on the Canadian side later this year.
As of Oct. 1, “all visitors from Canada wishing to use the front entrance will be required to present themselves at a port of entry to enter the library from the United States. There will be continued exceptions provided to those accessing the sidewalk on or after October 1, 2025, as not to impact safety, security, and education. Those populations include law enforcement, medical, fire, mail/package delivery, official workers, school visits (with notice to CBP), and handicapped individuals,” according to Unite States Border Patrol.
Boudreau said the policy has only encouraged the library patrons to work together.
“That division, that little chain or whatever they’re going to put to close that access, created a unity, created a stronger bond and we will rise above all this,” said Boudreau. “We’re going to be stronger.”
Boudreau said that she was in the library on Tuesday morning and witness Canadian and American patrons conversing and supporting one another.
“What an amazing message we received from people, and, yes, we put aside the politics for now,” she said. “They want to close that access for ‘security reasons,’ that’s fine, but we are stronger than that.”
